The invention is generally concerned with the bagging of glass containers, primarily bottles, wherein great care must be taken to avoiding direct contact between the bagged bottles such as might cause chipping or breakage. While the problem is not particularly significant in a grocery store environment wherein the glass containers for various foodstuffs use relatively thick glass and, in the bagging thereof, can normally be cushioned within other foodstuffs to avoid direct glass to glass contact, the problem is more acute in liquor stores and the like wherein the bulk of the products dispensed are in glass bottles. As such, while not limited thereto, it is contemplated that the present invention find particular utility as a bagging means or container for liquor bottles.
Under current practice, when two or more bottles are to be carried within a carrier or bag, the bottles are separated within the bag by individually wrapping the bottles prior to insertion in the bag, providing extra bags to receive the individual bottles, or by inserting cardboard dividers or the like between the bottles. While such means are effective to keep the bottles from hitting each other and breaking, the cost of the extra bags, dividers, and the like can be high, particularly in liquor stores wherein substantially every sale will entail the use of substantial packaging materials in addition to the carrying bag itself.
The problem of maintaining bottle separation within a carrying bag is recognized in the following patents wherein proposed solutions have involved the provision of rather elaborate permanent or removable partition structures:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,983,418, Thurmer PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,089,297, Read et al PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,484, Rattay et al